[Shak-Fu]

Blood and sand... 

As he looked upon the statue of Acrab high above the pits he whispered those words and crossed his blades over his chest momentarily before turning to the crowd letting out a battle roar that echoed across the coliseum drawing cheers from the men and women and sending children watching to cower behind their parents. Cheers of " KILL! KILL! KILL!!!" echoed throughout the stands as he stood over the body of his bleeding challenger. He glanced over at his Laniasta who carried a shitty grin of satisfaction. The minotaur was unbeatable in the sands and his investment had paid off. More like enslavement but in the world of gladiatorial fighting who was paying attention anyway. Looking up at the box where nobility and rulers sat he squinted his eyes from behind the gold plated helm. The crowd went silent as a figure clad in riches stepped up and silenced the crowd. Their hand outstretched it would tilt from down to up, the balance of the man's life at his feet seesawing at the crowds will. An eruption of cheers happened as the thumb locked into the down position and he looked down at the man at his feet, gurgling blood pooled in his mouth, a hole in his chest about 2 inches wide and 14 inches long left his chest ripped open. "May the ferryman take you into the afterlife to serve your sentence brave one" he said as he raised the axe high above his head and brought it down with a force that the people in the lower stands near him felt under their seats as the head of the man snapped off and rolled to the side a few feet away, once again to the erupting sound of people chanting "Tyrseus! Tyrseus! Tyrseus!" 

He bowed to the stands and as he turned to leave he once again roared to the crowd riling them up for the next fight as he walked to the exit, armed guards watching him timidly as the 8 1/4 foot minotaur passed them, his armor and weapon dripping blood and sand. Blood and sand. The essence of the gladiator, and the fire for the rage within him. He made his way through the echoing halls as heavily armored legs and hooves boomed with each step from the giant beast. Arriving to his quarters which ere really no more than a cell with some furniture in them he sat on a large bench as some servants followed in behind him, the girls looking wide eyes and terrified as the stench of blood filled their nostrils. "Another victory for you Tyrseus... you seem unstoppable..." she said trying to keep her mind off of the sight of weapons still dripping on the bench next to her, each drop feeling like a hammer blow to her ears. He looked to the small opening of light at the other end of his cell high above where only someone his size could really see out from as he placed his giant clawed hand on her head and spoke almost sorrowfully "There is always someone out there that is bigger and stronger, but this life we live is no life. No man should own people as playthings to put against each other for the amusement of other men. he ruffled the girl's hair as the others diligently unstrapped the large armor platings from his torso, legs, and arms, and then finally removed the golden helmet that was hand formed to his head size and shape. The red eyes looked down to her blinking a few times as he asked her "Why are you not afraid of me like the others?" She replied with a normal pensive tone " I don't really have any friends, and you're the only one that doesn't beat me an inch from my life and tells the guards to leave me alone" 

He continued to look down to her in wonder. Friend. A word that he hadn't heard in so long. He would live the day that he saw this girl liberated from her chains. All for the price of Blood and sand.